Since last summer, I've questioned Gordon's commitment to the Hornets on-air, through Twitter and via WDSU.com.

When it comes to the mainstream media, I've been on an island regarding my stand on the Hornets and Gordon.

Unfortunately, because the Hornets are second-tier to the New Orleans Saints, and because the Tom Benson-Pelicans honeymoon period is still seemingly in full effect, most of my friends in the media keep making excuses for Gordon and the Hornets executives who decided to make him the focal point of the franchise's rebuilding effort.

After Wednesday night, I have a strong suspicion that everyone will now start saying what I've been saying for months: Eric Gordon has to leave New Orleans.

The Hornets' game Wednesday night is the straw that broke the camel's (or Pelican's) back.

The Hornets played Portland and crushed the Blazers. In a surprising decision, just before tip, we learned Gordon would miss the game because of a sprained hand. After the game, coach Monty Williams seemed perplexed by the situation and once again reverted back to the company line of, "The doctors told us," regarding Gordon and his absence.

To make matters worse, Gordon wasn't even on the bench supporting the team he's the so-called leader of.

Since coming over from the Los Angeles Clippers in the Chris Paul trade, Gordon has played in just 27 of a possible 109 games.

It's clear as day, Gordon is not the leader of the team. He is soft as cotton, and most importantly, Gordon is a direct contrast to Williams and the team he's building.

As Michael McNamara from Hornets247.com wrote in his amazing column about Gordon, Jason Smith is playing with a torn labrum -- not a sprained labrum -- a torn muscle in his shoulder.

Smith is the kind of the player that defines the Hornets and Williams' culture.

Williams was a grinder as a player, and he's a grinder as a coach. He is as good a man as I've ever covered, and he believes in doing things the right way all the time.

Williams is a hard-nosed, workaholic coach, who pushes guys to the extreme to be better. His players, except for Gordon, have bought into this mindset. Most guys realize that the formula for success is playing together, playing hard, defining roles and playing as a team.

That formula turned Oklahoma City in a success. That formula can turn the Hornets into something special, but the franchise is losing a year of its rebuild as it continues to kowtow to Gordon.

Dell Demps and Williams have bent over backwards for Gordon. They were patient with his mysterious knee injury in 2012. They took the high road when Gordon and his agent took the free-agency process into the gutter in hopes of getting out of New Orleans.

Demps and Williams allowed Gordon to return to Los Angeles to rehabilitate his knee earlier this season, and they've recently catered to his rehabilitation process by allowing him to sit out back-to-back games.

But Wednesday night should be the final time they give in.

The NBA All-Star break provides all players an opportunity to rest their bodies and minds, but instead of gutting out one final game before the break and showing he's on board and willing to grind and play hard, Gordon took a pass on the Blazers game.

What Gordon did is the same as a regular employee like you or me calling in sick on a Friday before a long holiday weekend when we're not really sick.

The move was cowardly, and even Gordon has to realize at this point that he's not fooling anyone anymore

Greivis Vasquez told us last week, "Only having Eric from time to time is hard on us. It's hard on the coaches to set the rotation, it's hard on me and Austin."

When the Hornets matched the massive deal Gordon got last summer from Phoenix as a restricted free agent they truly believed he would enjoy being the featured piece in the rebuilding effort, and that playing with young star Anthony Davis would make Gordon realize that the future was bright in NOLA.

But now it's time to admit fault. The Hornets hierarchy simply over-thought the process. Logic tells one that a guy who lobbies to leave isn't a guy you build a championship with.

The Hornets committed a small-market sin. They gambled with a big money deal knowing the result may end badly for them -- and now it has.

The NBA trade deadline is six days away. Gordon has the right to void any trade, but he loses that right in July.

Many have said that the Hornets should wait until this summer to move Gordon because they'll have more control over where he goes. I disagree. Rip the bandage off now.

Build with guys who've bought in and want to be here. The Hornets have won two consecutive games in rout-like fashion without Gordon (Detroit and Portland). I would love to see the Hornets make a deal with Houston or Golden State and acquire at least one young player for Gordon.

But if all the Hornets get is a salary dump that's fine, too. Simply recouping most of the money the Hornets spent on Gordon would allow them to be very active in free agency this summer (Think Nikola Pekovic).

So I'm right where I was last July. Gordon has got to go. If Gordon stays and the Hornets continue to jam a square peg into a round hole, the Hornets will become the Sacramento Kings or the Minnesota Timberwolves -- a directionless mess.

Coaches were more vocal and aggressive with players as training camp pushes ahead full steam. Players clashed with one another in several hard hits and tackles, indicating that ferocity was the name of the game.